Human self-domestication andthe evolution of modern language(s)INVITED TALK 2

Antonio Benítez Burraco
Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theoryof Literature (Linguistics)

University of Seville (Spain)

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Human linguisticality

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Human linguisticality

Languages

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Human linguisticality

Languages

Utterances

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HOW I HAVE STRUCTURED MY TALK
1. Introduction

2. Language(s) evolution (research): an outline
3. The self-domestication account of human evolution
4. Conclusions and future prospects

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

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25

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complex phonologies
opaque morphologies
limited semantic transparency
limited compositional structureless sophisticated syntax

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complex phonologies
opaque morphologies
limited semantic transparency
limited compositional structureless sophisticated syntax

expanded vocabularies
increased syntactic complexity
simpler sound combinations
More
transparent/regularmorphologies
 greater compositionality
 enhanced semantic transparencyKEIO/2

Shared knowldege

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complex phonologies
opaque morphologies
limited semantic transparency
limited compositional structureless sophisticated syntax

Non-shared knowldege

expanded vocabularies
increased syntactic complexity
simpler sound combinations
more
transparent/regularmorphologies
 greater compositionality
 enhanced semantic transparencyKEIO/2(e)S(oteric) languages(e)X(oteric) languages

Shared knowldege

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complex phonologies
opaque morphologies
limited semantic transparency
limited compositional structureless sophisticated syntax

Non-shared knowldege

expanded vocabularies
increased syntactic complexity
simpler sound combinations
more
transparent/regularmorphologies
 greater compositionality
 enhanced semantic transparencyKEIO/2

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

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S-languages

 declarative memory
 procedural memory

Shared knowldege

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complex phonologies
opaque morphologies
limited semantic transparency
limited compositional structureless sophisticated syntax

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S-languages
Shared knowldege

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 declarative memory
 procedural memory
 working memory
 executive function
 perception, emotion, orsensorimotor

complex phonologies
opaque morphologies
limited semantic transparency
limited compositional structureless sophisticated syntax

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

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S-languages

X-languages

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More involved in:- figurative language- implicit meanings- background knowledge- discourse contexts- pragmatic interpretations

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Humanlinguisticality

Languages

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Biological modernity (evolving progresively)

Behavioral modernity (evolving progresively)
Linguistic modernity (evolving progresively)

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Biological modernity (evolving progresively)

Behavioral modernity (evolving progresively)
Linguistic modernity (evolving progresively)

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Biological modernity (evolving progresively)

Behavioral modernity (evolving progresively)
Linguistic modernity (evolving progresively)

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Prehistory

Biological modernity (evolving progresively)
S-languages

X-languages

Behavioral modernity (evolving progresively)
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complex phonologies
 expanded vocabularies
Linguisticmodernity (evolvingopaquemorphologies
 increased progresively)
syntactic complexity
limited semantic transparency
 simpler sound combinations
limited compositional structure moretransparent/regularless sophisticated syntax
morphologies
 greater compositionality
 enhanced semantic transparency

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HOW I HAVE STRUCTURED MY TALK
1. Introduction

2. Language(s) evolution (research): an outline
3. The self-domestication account of human evolution
4. Conclusions and future prospects

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KEIO/2- rise of community living- advent of co-parenting (as humanchildren demand more attention during
longer periods)- changes in our foraging ecology- increasingly harsh environments- moving to new territories

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more complicatedsyntax in domestic
strains! ➔A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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HumanlinguisticalityLanguages

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2Human
linguisticality

Languages

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

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Human
linguisticality

Languages

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1

before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

KEIO/2

Stage 4

greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2(1)
Run! Go! Move! Up! Down! Look! Bite!
Fire! Snake! Eagle!
Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

Stage 4

greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution(2)

KEIO/2a)
Look snake! Eat fruit!
Kill snake! Eagle fly!
b)rattle-snake; stink-bug;scatter-brain; cry-baby
Stage 3

Stage 2Stage 1

before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

Stage 4

greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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Self-domestication

A feedback
loop

Grammar

Cross-modality
Modern humans excel at unifying andcombining conceptual units that belong todistinct ‘core knowledge systems’ (Spelke,1994, 2000, 2003)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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Self-domestication

A feedback
loop

Grammar

Cross-modality
Modern humans excel at unifying andcombining conceptual units that belong todistinct ‘core knowledge systems’ (Spelke,1994, 2000, 2003)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution(2)

KEIO/2a)
Look snake! Eat fruit!
Kill snake! Eagle fly!
b)rattle-snake; stink-bug;scatter-brain; cry-baby
Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1

before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

Stage 4

greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

A feedback
loop

KEIO/2“The first human who hurled
Self-domestication
aninsult instead of a stone
was the founder ofcivilization.”
Freud

Cross-modality

GrammarA self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1a. [SC/VP roll balls] →b. [vP cats[ 200 kya roll balls]]
200 – 50 kya
before SC/VP

two-slot grammars/compounds

self-domestication starts to emerge increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
reactive physical aggression highdecline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

KEIO/2

Stage 4

greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1

before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

KEIO/2

Stage 4greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1

before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

KEIO/2

Stage 4greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1

before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntaxKEIO/2

Stage 4
greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution
1. Changes in the speech organs?

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A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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1. Changes in the speech organs?
2. Increased signal complexity in domesticated animals

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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1. Changes in the speech organs?
2. Increased signal complexity in domesticated animals
3. Expressing emotions / socializing with others

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2

1. Changes in the speech organs?
2. Increased signal complexity in domesticated animals
3. Expressing emotions / socializing with others
4. Aggression impacts on prosody (and vice versa)

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2

1. Changes in the speech organs?
2. Increased signal complexity in domesticated animals
3. Expressing emotions / socializing with others
4. Aggression impacts on prosody (and vice versa)
5. Aggression and prosody overlap at the brain levelA self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2

1. Changes in the speech organs?
2. Increased signal complexity in domesticated animals
3. Expressing emotions / socializing with others
4. Aggression impacts on prosody (and vice versa)
5. Aggression and prosody overlap at the brain level
6. Prosody and grammar overlap

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2

1. Changes in the speech organs?
2. Increased signal complexity in domesticated animals
3. Expressing emotions / socializing with others
4. Aggression impacts on prosody (and vice versa)
5. Aggression and prosody overlap at the brain level
6. Prosody and grammar overlap
7. Prosody bootstraps the acquisition of grammar

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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Self-domestication

A feedback
loop

ProsodyGrammar

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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A self-domestication account oflanguage evolutionKEIO/2

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2- Behavioral changes- Cognitive changes
Self-domestication

A feedback
loop

GrammarPragmatics

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2- Behavioral changes- Cognitive changes
Self-domestication

A feedback
loop

GrammarPragmatics

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2- Behavioral changes- Cognitive changes
Self-domestication

A feedback
loop

GrammarPragmatics

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

KEIO/2

Self-domestication

A feedback
loop

GrammarPragmatics

A self-domestication account oflanguage evolution

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Self-domestication

A feedback
loop

Grammar

Prosody

Pragmatics

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HOW I HAVE STRUCTURED MY TALK
1. Introduction

2. Language(s) evolution (research): an outline
3. The self-domestication account of human evolution
4. Conclusions and future prospects

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Genes positively
selected inelephants

SETBP1
CDH1
NEK4[…]

Genes selected indomesticatedmammals

SETBP1- associated to language deficits- associated to phonological working memory dysfunction- associated to social and behavioural disturbances
CDH1- involved in cortical neurogenesis- involved in neural connectivity

NEK4-

associated to autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder abnormal features of self-domestication

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Genes positively
selected inelephants

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Genes selected indomesticatedmammals

27 genes ofinterest

Genes selected inferalized mammals

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KEIO/2• demography• DNA• culture

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Problems with structural aspects of language

Problems with pragmatics
Cognitive deficits
Behavioral deficits

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Stage 3

Stage 2Stage 1

before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

Stage 4

greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

KEIO/2

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1

before 200 kya
self-domestication starts to emerge
reactive physical aggression hightwo-slot grammars/compounds

200 – 50 kya
increased self-domestication
accelerated feedback loop
decline in reactive aggression
rise of verbal aggression

50 – 10 kya
self-domestication at its peakreactive aggression at its low

early language solidifies
basic hierarchical syntax

Stage 4

greater compositionality
increased syntactic complexity

10 kya onward
Variable presentation of self-domestication
Increase in pro-active aggression (in somecontexts)

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European sea bass
(Dicentrarchus labrax)
F. Moronidae

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Domestication
Altered environment

Altered phenotype:domestication syndrome

Epigenetic changes during
development in NCC genes

Gene expression

Epigenetic changes
persisting into adulthood

Genetic assimilation

Epigenetic changes
persisting in offspringKEIO/2

Domestication
Altered environment

Altered phenotype:domestication syndrome

Epigenetic changes during
development in NCC genes

Gene expression

Epigenetic changes
persisting into adulthood

Genetic assimilation

Epigenetic changes
persisting in offspringKEIO/2

European sea bass
(Dicentrarchus labrax)
F. Moronidae

2114 candidates ofmammaliandomestication

Identification oforthologues:
Protein to protein blast(diamond)
Buchfink B et al 2015, Nat Methods

120 genes (128 in sea bass)1141 genes with DMRsKEIO/2

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
Shared knowldege

S-languages

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complex phonologies
opaque morphologies
limited semantic transparency
limited compositional structureless sophisticated syntax

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Human
linguisticality

Biology

Languages

CultureKEIO/2

Thanks a lot foryour attention!

e-mail:web:

Dr. Antonio Benítez Burraco
Full profesor of LinguisticsÁrea de Lingüística General. Departamento de Lengua
Española, Lingüística y Teoría de la Literatura. Facultad deFilología.
Universidad de Sevillaabenitez8@us.es

http://antoniobenitez.wix.com/benitez-burraco

Twitter: @abenitezburraco
Principal Investigator. Research Project: "La evolución
de las lenguas modernas: fundamentos
genéticos y sociológicos del continuo lingüísticoesotérico-exotérico” (PID2020-114516GB-I00))
Principal Investigator. Research Group “Biolingüística” (HUM 972)
(Junta de Andalucía, spain)